Video: Amber Martin Shares 'I Left My Weed in Texas'

On November 15, New York’s internationally acclaimed artist and cabaret star Amber Martin will release her highly anticipated new album, Unbreakable Heart. Marking the bold return to her country roots, the album features a carefully curated collection of boot-stomping, slow-swaying, and enchantingly heartfelt songs with Martin’s voice ringing out on every track whether in hope or heartbreak, or in just having a good ol’ laugh deep from the belly.

The project features longtime friends like 3x Grammy nominee Rufus Wainwright, Tony Award-winner John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shrill, How to Talk to Girls at Parties) and Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), all of whom are featured co-writers and vocalists across the album. 

Ahead of the release, Amber Martin has shared a final taste of the project with the focus track, “I Left My Weed in Texas.” The sultry, belting bar-room sing-a-long shines with the charm of a timeless country track and blends in Martin’s classic playfulness as she grieves the weed she left behind in a breakup, rather than the ex-lover. “It’s like a stoner’s swaggering lament,” says Martin, “a highly entertaining, oddball lyric about the heartbreaking moment when you discover that after leaving your no-good lover behind, you have literally also left your most beloved weed.”

 
In celebration of the new project, Amber Martin will be performing an album release show at The Cutting Room in New York next week on November 19. The event will be an unforgettable night of music as Martin takes to the stage with very special guests and her killer band. Details and tickets are available here.
 

 
A celebrated veteran of the stage, Amber Martin is known for her award-winning, legendary live shows, being named one of the top performers of the year by The New Yorker. Greatly inspired by the performance styles and traditions of Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Chaka Khan, Carol Burnett, and Bette Midler, her performances have been likened to “watching Ruth Draper after she’s come back from an acid trip during which she thought she was Janis Joplin.” Onstage, Amber is a remarkably powerful vocalist with a deep love for all genres of classic American pop music and culture, inspiring her own original music. Amber brings a combination of uplifting cabaret, dazzling vocals, unfiltered comedy, and compelling stories to her live, genre-hopping musical performances, casting light on her uniqueness from her own contemporaries while bringing a diverse range of inclusive, button-pushing entertainment to her equally diverse audiences.
 
Amber released her first solo album A.M. Gold in 2016, featuring original songs written by herself, Jake Shears, Paul Leschen, Fred Sauter, Townes Van Zandt, and Brett Every. Songs from the album were also featured in John Cameron Mitchell’s 2019 film, How To Talk To Girls At Parties. Beyond that, Amber has guest-starred in John Cameron Mitchell’s sold-out Origin of Love Tour across the world and appeared on Broadway in Tales of the City. Amber’s recent collaborations include belting the backing vocals on the Scissor Sisters’ single “Inevitable” from their album Magic Hour, as well as in the hit single “Too Much Music” on Jake Shears’ 2023 album, Last Man Dancing.
 
On her new album Unbreakable Heart, Amber returns to her country roots – along the bayous, highways and byways of SE Texas – with a collection of new songs written by Jake Shears, Rufus Wainwright, and John Cameron Mitchell, each of whom appear as guest vocalists. Produced by Martin herself, the album also shines from the mixing and engineering skills of Grammy and Tony Award nominated producer and music director, Justin Craig (Broadway’s Hedwig and Stereophonic). Coming from a country, gospel, and bluegrass-playing musical family, the central theme that connects these wide and varied songs is Amber’s deep love of classic country and family harmonies. Martin says, “The songs are about traveling, moving on, coming home, and finding the right people to surround yourself with, and the sound is all classic country. My objective with this whole album is to get ‘em dancing!’” She continues, “Every song on ‘Unbreakable Heart’ is a standalone in its uniqueness. No two songs are alike. It’s brightened by the fine musicianship of some truly talented Texas musicians and collaborators in New York City. Everyone involved in this album, whether as writer, backing vocals singer or musician is a dear friend and ‘family’ member. It's truly a love letter.” 
 
Amber continues to evolve as writer, curator, and star of her own shows, such as her acclaimed international performance series, Bathhouse Bette, Amber Alert!, and Janis:Undead. Amber’s shows have included a dizzying line-up of luminary guest stars like Karen Black, Patti Lupone, Rufus Wainwright, Sandra Bernhard, John Cameron Mitchell, Jake Shears, Molly Ringwald, Bernadette Peters, Justin Vivian Bond, Cole Escola, Aubrey Plaza, Joyce Dewitt and Bridget Everett.
 
Live dates:
Nov 19           New York, NY @ The Cutting Room (album release show)

Photo Credit: Jill Pangallo

To post a comment, you must register and login.